Contenders Blindside A sneaky tribemate

Delivery Rider Steve considered himself a puppet master in the game, but his strings became tangled when he aligned himself too heavily with the Contender’s Bromance Alliance of Benji, Robbie and Zach and became the target of the female tribe members.

Since the season’s first Tribal Council, Steve worked hard to become a part of the male alliance in his tribe, as he considered the boys to be the key players. Through Tai Chi and clandestine chats, Steve had slowly become a part of what he termed “the Awesome Foursome.”

The Contenders came into the night’s challenges buoyed by their recent wins, however their strength and determination was not enough to pull off victory in the Reward Challenge where it was a case of human tug-of-war. The challenge was neck and neck throughout with the Champions pulling ahead in the last heat. The game also cost the Contenders dearly when Jenna reinjured her weak ankle and was sidelined in tears.

Back at the Contender’s Camp, the female members decided to take advantage of their numbers and pick off the men one by one. Having grown tired of Zach’s macho bravado, the new women’s alliance placed him in the firing line, but first came Steve.

At the Immunity Challenge, the two tribes navigated a heavy ball through a series of obstacles before smashing through targets. The Contenders had a strong lead throughout but Football Legend Mat Rogers proved too good in the final stage, beating out an exhausted Heath for the win.

After their loss and with a vote ahead, the Bromance alliance were convinced they had full control and decided to blindside Paige, after they had convinced her of a vote for Shonee.

At Tribal Council, it became evident there was a clear divide between the boys and the girls. Robbie suggested there is a majority in the team that is dictating the vote and assured the team he would align with people he thinks are loyal to him and the tribe.

In a shock for the Bromance Alliance, a crestfallen Steve received the bulk of the votes ahead of Paige and is voted the fourth person out of Survivor.

On his departure, Steve said: “I just feel so surreal right now to be voted off so quickly, but the social politics is a little bit more intense than I expected, but that’s how the game is played. But no regrets I’ve been playing the game the way I thought I need to play from day one.”